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The Lovers Speak

¹ "Oh that you were like a brother to me
Who nursed at my mother's breasts.
If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you;
No one would despise me, either.

² "I would lead you and ^(C1)bring you
Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me;
I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.

³ "Let ^(C1)his left hand be under my head,
And his right hand embrace me."

The Groom

⁴ "^(C1)Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem:
^(F1)Do not disturb or awaken my love
Until she pleases."

The Chorus

⁵ "^(C1)Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
Leaning on her beloved?"

The Bride

"Beneath the ^(C2)apple tree I awakened you;
There your mother went into labor with you,
There she was in labor and gave birth to you.

⁶ "Put me like a seal over your heart,
Like a ^(C1)seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
^(F1)(C2)Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flames are flames of fire,
^(F2)The flame of the LORD.

⁷ "Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers flood over it;
^(C1)If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised."

The Chorus

⁸ "We have a little sister,
And she ^(C1)has no breasts;
What shall we do for our sister
On the day when she is spoken for?

⁹ "If she is a wall,
We will build on her a battlement of silver;
But if she is a door,
We will barricade her with ^(C1)planks of cedar."

The Bride

¹⁰ "I was a wall, and ^(C1)my breasts were like towers;
Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.

¹¹ "Solomon had a ^(C1)vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He ^(C2)entrusted the vineyard to ^(C3)caretakers.
Each one was to bring a ^(C4)thousand shekels of silver for its ^(C5)fruit.

¹² "My very own vineyard is ^(F1)at my disposal;
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit."

The Groom

¹³ "You who sit in the gardens:
My ^(C1)companions are listening for your voice—
^(C2)Let me hear it!"

The Bride

¹⁴ "^(F1)Hurry, my beloved,
And be ^(C1)like a gazelle or a young ^(F2)stag
On the ^(C2)mountains of balsam trees!"